Faith Leaders: Essential Partners in Local and National Efforts to End Suicide

In this course, Glen Bloomstrom (Director, Faith Community Engagement, LivingWorks; Adjunct Professor, Bethlehem St Mary, Minneapolis, Minnesota) presents a compelling case for why ministry leaders need to be essential partners with mental health professionals to reduce the suicide rates in faith communities. Addressing the multiple barriers to dealing with suicide in chaplaincy settings and showing how those barriers can be overcome, Bloomstrom describes what a faith community network of safety looks like and outlines course content in the LivingWorks Faith program created specifically to help reduce the suicide rates. The goals of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention are listed, along with the general goals of individual faith communities dealing with suicide prevention.